LightSail 2 solar flee spots Typhoon Laura from space as satellites track storm’s path

LightSail 2 solar flee spots Typhoon Laura from space as satellites track storm’s path

An image taken by The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 mission on Aug. 24, 2020, shows Hurricane Laura in the lower left, the Caribbean in the lower center, and the satellite's large solar sail at the top of the frame.

A portray taken by The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 mission on Aug. 24, 2020, reveals Typhoon Laura in the lower left, the Caribbean in the lower heart, and the satellite tv for pc’s fat solar flee at the stop of the frame. (Image credit: The Planetary Society)

A special satellite tv for pc has joined the fast of orbital eyes preserving survey over Typhoon Laura because it approaches the Gulf Crawl.

The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 is a crowdfunded solar flee that launched in June 2019 to check whether a satellite tv for pc might perhaps perhaps perhaps successfully orbit Earth for a year powered easiest by the sun’s rays. It has succeeded and then some, closing in orbit these days. And on Aug. 24, it captured a portray of Typhoon Laura (then serene a tropical storm) swirling throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 

“To all discontinuance to this mighty storm, conclude safe accessible!” Planetary Society representatives wrote in the post

Linked: Astronaut and satellites survey tropical storms Laura and Marco from space

Lightsail 2 is hardly ever the most basic satellite tv for pc watching the storm: a bunch of missions breeze by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are also learning Laura in present to better defend meteorologists and wretchedness response specialists apprised.

Typhoon Laura is for the time being a Category 3 storm fixed with its wind speeds and can fill to serene likely give a take hang of to to a Category 4 storm later these days (Aug. 26) before making landfall, in accordance with a forecast from NOAA’s National Typhoon Center.

For this #WednesdayMorning, desire a seek at #HurricaneLaura with @NOAA’s #GOESEast satellite tv for pc because the storm’s convection bursts with lightning. As of 8 a.m. EDT, #Laura had winds of 115 mph and was once impulsively intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico. Most modern: https://t.co/1L8q1zg4eW pic.twitter.com/yyxJkmlfnjAugust 26, 2020

The storm’s penalties are anticipated to ripple throughout jap Texas and Louisiana, with threats along side storm surge of up to 15 feet (4.6 meters), heavy rains, worthy winds and most definitely tornadoes. 

After landfall, Typhoon Laura will weaken, however the storm will continue; its stays are for the time being predicted to trot back and forth via Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee and the Virginias, then up along the Atlantic waft.

While you stay in these areas, defend an look for on the National Typhoon Center’s forecasts for the storm.

Electronic mail Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Fb.

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